


When the Walls Come Crumbling Down

by writewithurheart



Series: The One Where Gert and Karolina are Friends [1]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Bonding, Coming Out, F/F, F/M, Female Bonding, Friendship, Gen, Sexuality, because it's bull shit, getting over this thing the show does, so i've resolved it, where they pit the female characters against each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 09:57:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13097685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writewithurheart/pseuds/writewithurheart
Summary: Karolina and Gertrude clear the air...because why would they be fighting over a guy?





	When the Walls Come Crumbling Down

**When the Walls Come Crumbling Down**

Karolina’s done. She’s exhausted with all the secrets and emotions and hiding and she’s just DONE. OKAY? 

Her mom’s a murderer and she turns into a literal glowing rainbow. She used to talk to her mother about everything. Now, suddenly she can’t. Her only option is Chase, kind sweet Chase who has a crush that she definitely does not reciprocate. It should be simple enough for her to turn around and just say ‘I’m not interested.’ 

Karolina leans back against the brick wall and slides down to sit on the cool tile floor, her legs curled up against her chest. She wraps her arms around them and blinks rapidly to fight the tears. God, she just wants to tell someone…

Footsteps echo around the hallway. She straightens. Maybe it’s Molly. She could have a conversation with Molly. Or Nico. Nico would be good. They could talk, bond. Really, anyone but...anyone but her…

Karolina barely catches the groan from escaping as familiar purple hair comes into view. Gertrude has about seven books balancing in her arms as she mutters under her breath in what sounds like Spanish. Maybe she won’t notice, and they won’t have to do that thing where they pretend Gertrude isn’t jealous of Karolina because of her crush on Chase. 

She watches, fascinated as Gert flips through the book on the top of the pile. The books slide and she fumbles to keep them all in place. It works for a moment, but the movement has already cemented her fate. The books refuse to settle and Gert curses in Spanish as the books fly out in all directions and she goes scrambling after them. 

One slides to a stop next to Karolina’s foot. She winces, her plan to hide evaporating as she picks up a worn copy of  _ War and Peace _ ...who reads  _ War and Peace _ ? 

“Oh, Kare...I didn’t see you there.” 

Karolina grimaces as she stands, brushing off her pants. She passes the book to Gert and braces herself for whatever angry quip Gert has. “I wouldn’t expect you to notice anything outside of your own world.” 

Gert frowns. “Wow. That was kind of uncalled for.” 

Kare rolls her eyes. “Whatever.” She turns away.

“What’s your problem?” Gert demands angrily. “What did I ever do to you?” 

Karolina turns and crosses her arms. “My problem? I don’t have a problem. You’re the one who decided you didn’t like me. I’m just returning the favor.” 

“I don’t hate you.” 

The words are empty, bland and unconvincing. “Yeah, Gert, you do. Because you can’t admit you’ve got a crush on Chase. I get it. It’s too  _ heteronormative _ for you, or whatever. But just because your crush is crushing on someone else doesn’t mean you can take it out on them.” 

Gert’s mouth falls open in surprise. “I don’t have a crush on Chase!” 

“God, Gert, just  admit it! You like him! It’s okay. It’s normal to have crushes.” Karolina throws her hands in the air in exasperation. 

“They why don’t you admit you have a crush on Nico?” 

There’s a challenge in those words, a gauntlet thrown down, one that Karolina’s not sure she can respond to. It’s not a crush on a boy. To speak the words out loud would be to admit that she’s not normal. Not that she’s an alien, but that she likes girls. Hell, she’s not sure how anyone’s going to react to that bombshell. 

“I don’t…” Karolina can’t even denounce her crush out loud properly. The words catch in her throat, her teeth grinding in anxiety at the stand off. 

Gert huffs and glares up at the ceiling. “Fine. Let’s say,  _ hypothetically _ , I have a crush on Chase.” 

Karolina shifts uneasily. “Then,  _ hypothetically _ , I may have a crush on Nico.” 

“Alright,” Gert says, nodding. She glances around. “So...you like girls. Cool. Nico’s hot.” 

A snort erupts from her. “You don’t need to do that.” 

“Do what?” 

“Act like you’re cool with this. Just be happy nothing’s ever going to happen between me and Chase and leave me alone.” Karolina goes back to her wall and drops to the ground, her legs crossed instead of curled up to her chest. She pulls out her phone and starts scrolling through her twitter feed just for something to do until Gert disappears. 

Except she doesn’t. 

Gert drops down beside Karolina, her books landing in a pile in front of her. “I’m bi.” 

Karolina blinks in response, glancing sideways. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” 

“Do you have to be so difficult?” Gert demands. She closes her eyes and Karolina watches her take three deep breaks before she continues. “I’m just...I just wanted you to know that I’ve been where you are. I get it.” 

“I don’t really think that’s true. You’ve got a crush on a guy. You’re not crushing on someone who’s straight while you’re…” 

“Gay?” Gertrude finishes when Karolina can’t say it out loud. 

“Gay,” she repeats with growing confidence. “I’m gay. I like girls.” She laughs. “That’s the first time I’ve said it out loud.” 

Gert grins. “Liberating, isn’t it?” 

Karolina smiles back. It feels really good to admit it out loud. It’s no longer a secret eating her from the inside out. She’s finally released the words from where they rattled around inside her. “I’m gay and I like Nico.” 

She looks expectantly at Gert. “Your turn.” 

Gert rolls her eyes. “Fine. I have a crush on Chase.” She sighs. “I know he kissed you at the gala.” 

Karolina freezes, recalling the awkward moment on the roof where his lips were pressed against hers and all Kare had wanted was for it to be Nico instead. “I didn’t-” 

“I figured,” Gert says, “what with the being gay and all. I mean, you seem kind of new at this. Have you ever even kissed a girl?” 

Kare laughs at the question, sounding a little hysterical even to her own ears. “I didn’t even realize I wanted to kiss girls until a couple weeks ago.” 

She just hadn’t thought about it before. Her focus had always been the church and being the perfect daughter. She had to be a role model. It was a lot of pressure. And Gert was totally right about all that heteronormative stuff. She just kind of expected that one day she would meet a guy and fall in love. Until she was standing there, in a party surrounded by hundreds of people, and she realized she didn’t want to make out with any of the guys. No, she wanted to kiss the cute brunette girl in the corner instead. 

Then she had seen Nico, and well, she’d pretty much been a goner after that. 

“Well, the tricky part about liking girls, is figuring out who’s interested. Cause girls will act flirty all the time. They compliment you and they’re touchy, so you can’t rely on those signals.” 

“I think we both know that Nico and Alex are a thing,” Karolina points out. She picks at a piece of lint on her jeans. “I don’t stand a chance on that front.” 

Gert glances at her. “I know a couple people…” 

Karolina frowns. “What?” 

“Girls,” Gert elaborates. “Who would definitely be interested.”

She laughs at the suggestive tone of Gert’s voice. “I’m not looking for a date.” 

“Couldn’t hurt,” Gert commented. “You’re gorgeous. You’re maybe the nicest person I’ve ever met. It’s almost sickening about how nice you are. I could get you a date in about five minutes.” 

“Then why are you pining after Chase?” 

“It’s a little different.” 

“Why?” Karo demands. “You’re just as pretty as I am.” 

A snort. “Yeah. Okay.” 

“You are! You defend the underdog. You’re gorgeous. You have purple hair!” Karolina elbows her. “You’re crazy smart. Anyone who doesn’t see that is insane. I mean, you figured out I like girls and we barely spent any time together.”

Gert sighs. “You know, life would be so much easier if we could crush on each other.” 

Karolina laughs. It would be offensive, if it wasn’t true. She could like Gert, but her heart already belongs to Nico Minoru. She can’t stop the crush. She would if she could. “Why couldn’t we?” 

Gert leans her head against Karolina’s shoulder. “Because the heart wants what it wants. Even when what it wants is a jock with a thing for skinny blondes.”

“Or straight goth chicks,” Karolina adds. She tilts her head so it rests against Gert’s with a defeated sigh. 

“Love sucks.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So this happened...if you liked it, please comment/leave kudos/bookmark! Thank you for reading! You are awesome!


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